Baby-walker



(No Model.)

I. 0. PRICE.

BABY WALKER. No. 257,185. Patented May 2,1882.

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BABY-WALKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,185, dated May a,1882.

I Application filed February 28, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, I. OORWIN PRICE, a citizen of the United States, andaresident of the city of Springfield, in the county ofOlarke and Stateof Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Baby-Walkers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in baby-walkers which are mountedupon wheels, so as to be pushed forward by the child inclining its bodyin the same direction, thereby inducing it to step.

My invention further relates to a baby-walker in which thesupporting-frame upon which the child rests its hands and arms is placedin front of it only, and which dispenses entirely with the use ofsupporting-straps orother like appliances,which encumber and prevent theinfant from having free use of its body and limbs while learning, thisbeing an object of my invcntion.

My invention relates, further, tothe employment of means for looking orclamping the pilot-wheel of the walker, so as to prevent the machinefrom slippin g away from the child too suddenly while it is endeavoringto support itself thereupon in its first attempts to walk.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved baby-walker. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a top view of the front end of thebedframe with a section removed, cut through line 1 2, Fig. 2.

In the drawings, A is the upright frame, consisting of the uprights a,and the supportingbar 1), connecting them at the top ends.

B is the bed-frame, which is in shape nearly like the rear hounds of atwo-horse wagon. Three wheels support the walker, the forward or pilotwheel being pivoted upon a spindle-bolt, 6, between the ends of the twobars 0 c, which form the bed-frame. The latter is composed of the twoside bars, 0, which extend back and are bent at an angle outward attheir rear ends, which terminate in a spindle or axle, which forms thebearing for the wheels d. By turning the rear ends of the bars 0 outwardin the manner shown a much wider support is given to the walker at therear end than could otherwise be had,which prevents it from beingoverturned by the child in operating it.

The two upright posts a are tenoned and let into the top of the bars 0,being either riveted attheirlowerendsorotherwisefastened. They areplaced considerably forward of the rear wheels, d, so as not only toallow the child to walk between them, but also to prevent any danger oftilting the walker backward by the weight of the child being thrown uponthe sup- 7 porting-bar b.

A little forward of the base of the posts a is placed the bar a, whichconnects the bars a and 0, so as to give the child sufficient room towalk without stepping upon it. This bar extends across the frame B, inline with the lower edge of the'two side bars, 0, and is bent at anangle upward and outward to form a shouldered end, and is riveted ateach end to the top of the side bars. The object in thus form ing itsends is to give it firmness and strength at the points of connection inresisting the strain by springing the forward ends of bars 0 inward topress them against the hub of the interposed wheel 01 between them.

In Fig. 3 the dotted lines show the adjustability or movement in theends of bars 0.

The bolt 6 may be cut with a fine thread, so as to allow a variablepressure.

In the first lessons in walking, the babe not being able to control theforward movement of the walker from want of knowledge, and the tendencyof the wheels to roll forward and thus I carry the machine away fromit,the use of some means to lock or cramp the pilot-wheel to preventthis is important, and I have therefore adopted the most simple meansfor accomplishing this purpose, as I construct the frame of my walker ofmalleable iron made very light. The round supporting-bar bis the onlypart made of wood.

It will be noticed that in using thawalker, which is in front of it, thechild is free and unconfined, and can not only support itself upon thebar I) with one or both hands, but can turn around when itsattcntion isdrawn in another direction, and it may move from the machine to a chair,as it learns to step, without assistance. The absence ofsupporting-straps or oth er like appliances allows it to gainself-confidence 'as it progresses, which is an important object ininfantile teachings.

I claim as my invention- 1. A. baby-walker having a single supporting-bar connecting the tops of two upright posts, secured at their lowerends in the side bars of a bed-frame supported upon wheels, and havingthe rear ends of said frame extending in rear of said uprights andturned outward, and terminating in axles or spindles on which saidwheels are pivoted, while its front ends converge toward their forwardends, and are connected by a pivot-bolt or spindle on which a forwardwheel is pivoted between said. ends, substantially as shown andspecified, for the purpose set forth.

2. In baby-walkers, a triangular or nearly triangular bed-framesupported upon wheels or casters, and having uprights or posts thereonconnected by a single supporting-bar, said upright frame being setforward of the rear wheels to allow the child to walk between them, andto prevent the walker from tilting backward when the weight of the childis thrown upon the supporting-bar, substantially as hereinbefore setforth.

3. The combination, with an upright frame .having a supporting-bar forthe child to bear its weight upon, of a bed-frame of triangular or 2 5nearlytriangular shape supported upon wheels, and having means forlocking or clamping the front wheel of the same, as hereinbeforespecified.

4. The. combination, with frame A, having 0 posts a and connecting-barb, of the boundss'haped bed-frame B, having side bars, 0, connecting-bara, and wheels 01, d, and d, the latter being interposed between thefront ends of said frame-bars 0 upon the pivot-bolt c, and 3 5 providedwith means for looking or clamping thesame, as hereinbefore set forth.

I. convvm PRICE.

Attest:

B. O; CONVERSE, F. H. PENFIELD.

